NAD C399

As the new flagship of NAD’s Classic series of integrated amplifiers, the C 399 HybridDigital DAC Amplifier takes NAD’s commitment to enduring value and sonic excellence to a whole new level.

The C 399 utilizes NAD’s Hypex HybridDigital nCore amplification circuit, which was previously only available in the Masters series amplifiers. Its digital section is built around an ESS Sabre 32-bit/384kHz DAC, the same chip used in NAD’s acclaimed M10 and M33 Masters series amplifiers.

The C 399 is the first amplifier to incorporate the latest generation of NAD’s MDC (Modular Design Construction) technology. MDC2 allows users to add optional modules that provide features such as BluOS multi-room music streaming and Dirac Live room correction.

The New Classic Amplifiers from NAD: Smart. Powerful. Efficient.

Perfect Power
Derived from NAD's Masters series, the C 399’s HybridDigital nCore amplifier can provide 180 watts per channel of continuous power and 250 watts per channel of instantaneous power. Highly efficient and immensely powerful, the HybridDigital nCore amplifier can produce musical transients effortlessly. The design is renowned for its wide bandwidth, flat frequency response, clean clipping behavior with instant recovery, high current capability, and stability with demanding low-impedance speaker loads. Noise and distortion are incredibly low under all operating conditions. The tiny levels of harmonic distortion are dominated by the second and third harmonics, which are benign from a sonic perspective. The Hypex nCore design allows the C 399 to produce a neutral and distortion-free sound even at very high listening levels, with exquisite detail, superb spatial representation, and exciting dynamics.

Additionally, the high-resolution ESS Sabre 9028 DAC, known for its near-zero clock jitter, ultra-low noise and distortion, and wide dynamic range, comes from the Masters series. This premium DAC allows the C 399 to reproduce all your digital sources with surprising musicality, stunning clarity, and precise soundstage.

Future-Proof
In 2007, NAD introduced Modular Design Construction, an innovative architecture for adding new features to existing components. Many NAD products feature slots on the back panel for MDC modules that perform HDMI switching, BluOS multi-room music streaming, Dolby Atmos surround processing, and other functions.
The C 399 is the first product to feature NAD’s new MDC2 architecture. Allowing bi-directional communication between the module and the component, MDC2 opens up the future for new upgrades.
Equipped with Wi-Fi and Ethernet, the optional MDC2 BluOS-D module allows listeners to stream music from their favorite services through the C 399 using the acclaimed BluOS Controller app for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. Like all BluOS-enabled products, the MDC2 BluOS-D has integrated support for dozens of streaming services and supports Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect. The bi-directional communication also allows the MDC2 BluOS-D to stream music from sources connected to the C 399 to BluOS-enabled components in other rooms.

The Dirac Live feature allows you to measure your room’s acoustics using a supplied microphone and an intuitive app, then load the correction curves onto the MDC2 BluOS-D. By compensating for acoustic anomalies in your listening environment, Dirac Live greatly improves bass clarity, imaging, and tonal accuracy. Thanks to its two-way architecture, the MDC2 BluOS-D applies room correction to all sources connected to your C 399.

Everything is Connected
The C 399 can accommodate all your digital and analog sources. Its MM phono stage offers ultra-precise RIAA equalization, extremely low noise, and high overload margins. The phono preamp also includes an innovative circuit that eliminates subsonic noise present on all LPs without compromising bass response. There are two sets of line-level analog inputs, each with low-noise buffer amplifiers to prevent sound degradation. The C 399 has two optical and two coaxial digital inputs, plus an HDMI-eARC port for playing audio from a connected TV, with amplifier volume control via the TV remote.

In addition to two pairs of speaker outputs, the C 399 has preamp output jacks and two subwoofer outputs. Two-way apt-X HD Bluetooth allows 24-bit streaming from mobile devices and high-quality output to Bluetooth headphones. A dedicated headphone amplifier with low output impedance and high voltage output capability is also incorporated, allowing the C 399 to drive demanding high-impedance studio monitor headphones.

A Timeless Classic
Like every NAD amplifier ever made, the C 399 has the right foundations: precise volume control with accurate channel balancing, low-noise circuits, and correct input and output impedances. But it goes far beyond the basics. With its HybridDigital nCore output stage and high-resolution ESS Sabre DAC, the C 399 can reproduce all your digital and analog sources with a level of excitement and refinement unprecedented in an integrated amplifier from the Classic series.
Thanks to NAD’s innovative MDC2 platform, the C 399 will keep up with future developments. Essentially, MDC2 makes obsolescence obsolete. The C 399 can serve as the hub of a world-class music system today, and for years to come. With NAD's HybridDigital DAC Amplifier C 399, the legend continues.

Technical Specifications:

• Frequency Response: 20-20k Hz +/-0,3 dB
• THD: <0,002%
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >84 dB
• Channel Separation: >100 dB (1kHz), >90 dB (10kHz)
• Input Sensitivity: Line 201 mV, Digital 10,25% FS
• Damping Factor: >150
• Nominal Power: 2×180 watts @8 ohm
• Dynamic Power IHF: 2×217 watts @8 ohm, 2×400 watts @4 ohm, 2×506 watts @2 ohm
• Peak Current: >26A
• Output Stage: HybridDigital nCore
• Inputs: 1x phono MM, 2x analog RCA, 2x digital coax, 2x digital optical, HDMI eARC, RS-232, Trigger, IR, Bluetooth
• Outputs: pre, subwoofer, headphone, IR, Trigger, Bluetooth
• Supported Formats: MQA, DSD, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, WMA-L, ALAC, OPUS
• Native Sampling Rates: up to 24bit/192kHz
• Bit Depth: 16-24
• Supported Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows XP, 2000, Vista, 7, 8 and current, Mac OS X
• Supported Cloud Services: Amazon Alexa, Amazon Music, Spotify, TIDAL, Deezer, Qobuz, HDTracks, HighResAudio, Murfie, JUKE, Napster, Slacker Radio, KKBox, Bugs
• Bluetooth Quality: aptX HD
• Bluetooth Connection: two-way
• MDC Slots: 2x
• Dimensions: 435x120x390 mm
• Weight: 11.2 kg